Page 100 of Love is a Harmony
“She…” He swallowed heavily. What had she done? Melanie warned him time and again. Before they married, she said he couldn’t fall for her. When she gave in to their attraction, she reminded him what they had wasn’t love. “She doesn’t matter.”
Ava turned to face him, her eyes narrowing. “Why am I getting the impression that isn’t true?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Well, I woke you up in the middle of the night, so it’s not like you’re sleeping. I have time.”
“You’re relentless.”
“This, you know. Now, tell me about this fake wife you’re in love with.”
“How did you—”
“Because I’m me, and we’re us.” She tucked fire red hair behind her ears and latched her green eyes onto his. “You know I won’t stop until you’ve spilled your guts. You know everything about me, Noah, including the fact that I loved your brother so much I’ve been waiting for him to come back. But you… Noah Clarke doesn’t fall in love. He painstakingly crafts scandals, chooses his partners carefully. And love, well, that’s not careful. So, who has made this rocker so careless?”
He couldn’t think of Melanie without wanting to turn back the clock, to go back to the way things were between them. They’d been friends even when he was her client. Their relationship was easy, but it hadn’t been right. As much as he wanted to wish this pain away, he could never forget the short time they’d had together. There’d been moments he forgot who she was, that she’d already told him how this would end.
“I can’t…” He looked to his hands, unable to face his oldest friend. “Why does it hurt so much, Ava?”
Her expression softened. “Love holds so much pain, but we fall anyway.”
“Why? Why do we do this to ourselves?”
“Because if love did not hurt to lose, we would not fight to keep it. Did you fight, Noah?”
Did he? He let Melanie shut him out, let the media destroy everything he’d hoped to build with her.
“Her husband died, Ava. Her great love. There is no place for me in that tragedy.”
Ava cupped his cheek, and Noah saw her in Melanie’s shoes, one day refusing to love anyone else after losing Carson.
“Promise me, Ava, you have to promise me you won’t grieve Carson the rest of your life. He wouldn’t want that.”
A fat tear rolled down her cheek. “We’re allowed to love more than once.” She wiped her tear away. “I have to believe that. There is no one true love, one great love. We have the capacity to love more and greater and louder. Love does not end in death. It only expands.”
Noah pulled her into a hug. “I wish everyone saw the world the way you do.”
Of Noah’s two best friends, Ava had always been the sweet angel on one shoulder while Jo was the snarky grumpy one on the other.
Eventually, he’d have to go back to L.A., but nothing would be the same as it was before.
Maybe Ava was right. Melanie could have chosen him regardless of her grief, but she hadn’t.
She hadn’t fought herself for him.
And he hadn’t tried hard enough to change her mind.
Maybe they were never meant for more than a fake marriage.
28
Melanie
Harmonystared at Melanie from across the room, a depiction of everything she’d given up.
She hadn’t been able to bring herself to take the painting down as much as it hurt to look at. There’d be a finality in the act.
One she wasn’t ready for.
